


Strange, Unusual

by GothicDeetz



Series: Lydia Maitland [1]
Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Ending, Bonding, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dead People, Demons, Developing Friendships, Enemies, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Families of Choice, Family, Family Bonding, Father Figures, Forgive Me, Forgiveness, Found Family, Friends to Enemies, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Ghosts, Good Demons, Middle Names, Mother Figures, Name Changes, Novel, Other, Second Chances, Spoilers, Supernatural Elements, Tags Contain Spoilers, Talking, Talking To Dead People, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23685133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothicDeetz/pseuds/GothicDeetz
Summary: Based on the alternate workprint scene of the movie, Lydia’s father and stepmother have both decided that it’s best they move back to New York City, leaving Lydia to live with the Maitlands. What can go wrong?
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland, Beetlejuice & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland, Beetlejuice & Lydia Deetz & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland, Lydia Deetz & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland
Series: Lydia Maitland [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737052
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

“Lydia, sweetie? Are you coming downstairs?” Lydia’s ghost mother shouted up the stairs. “It’s almost dinner time!”

“In a minute, ghost mother!”

That made Barbara, who, along with her husband, Adam, had taken over from Charles and Delia as Lydia’s parental figures, smile. She turned around, heading back into the kitchen.

Barbara let her mind wander. It hadn’t been that much long since Charles and Delia had moved out of the house and left Lydia to live with her and Adam. Neither ghost seemed to mind. It did, after all, give them much more of a chance to get to know Lydia better. They were glad they could take over as Lydia’s parents. Despite being unrelated to the teenager. They still considered themselves a family.

Lydia had decided, a few short days after finding out from the Maitlands that they’d decided to become her parental figures, to legally change her last name to Maitland. She was now known as Lydia Veronica Joyce Maitland instead of Lydia Veronica Joyce Deetz.

Adam entered the room and sat himself down next to his wife, snapping her out of her thought process when he asked her a question, “Barb, honey, are you okay?”

She shook her head a few times. “Yes. Yes. Everything’s fine, Adam, dear. I was just thinking.”

“Bout what?”

“Lydia,” came his wife’s response. 

“And how she’s technically our daughter now?” Adam asked with a smile.

Barbara nodded. “Yeah. You read my mind. We may not be related to her but I’m glad she’s our daughter now.”

“Me too,” Adam agreed.

________

Lydia gleefully headed down the stairs a little later than she’d originally told Barbara she was coming downstairs. Greeting her ghost parents with a smile as she entered the kitchen, she sat down at the kitchen counter and waited patiently for her dinner. Barbara placed down a plate of spaghetti in front of the teenager and Lydia began to eat it slowly.

“Thank you for the food, ghost mother,” Lydia said in a muffled voice, her mouth full of food.

“You’re very welcome, Lydia, sweetie.” Barbara chuckled softly, “also, please don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Lydia swallowed her food before speaking again, “I won’t.”

“Good.”

________

The three of them sat together in the living room following Lydia’s dinner, chatting away about various topics including how Lydia was currently doing at school. Not that she wasn’t doing well. She was. She still had that C in science and the A in math. 

Barbara leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder and he rested an arm around hers, pulling her close to him. They both watched Lydia with smiles on their faces, listening as she told them about her school day. About how she had another test coming up that the two of them could help her study for.

The test was on math, something Adam could help her study for. He knew he couldn’t help her with science. That was something he knew Barbara could help Lydia with. That and photography. Actually, photography was something they both could help Lydia with.

“So,” the teenager spoke up, directing her ghost parents’ attention back over towards her, “I have a photography project due by the end of the week. Could you guys help me with that?”

“Of course, Lydia,” her ghost parents smiled at her.

“Thank you.”

Barbara looked at the clock situated on the wall above the entryway to the living room. “It’s almost Ten. Lydia? Are you going upstairs to bed?”

“I am right now!” she shouted as she made her way up the stairs.


	2. Chapter One: BETELGEUSE?!!

The next day, after Lydia got home from school, Adam was busy working on his model of the town. Barbara was in the corner with Lydia, the two of them chatting away about Lydia’s photography project at school. Adam’s eyes locked directly onto the model cemetery and he took notice of a certain something - or someone - who wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.

“Barbara, Lydia, you guys better come over here now,” he urged, a hint of panic in his voice.

The two females stopped their conversation and joined Adam. Gazing down towards the model cemetery, their eyes narrowed in anger as they focused on what appeared to be Betelgeuse, just sitting there and waving as he smiled sheepishly up at them.

Quickly, Adam and Barbara pushed Lydia behind them and refocused their attention back over towards Betelgeuse. The nerve of that guy - that pervert - showing up in their house again after a couple of months. Or did a year pass by for the Maitlands. The two ghosts weren’t quite sure. Barbara reached a hand down and picked up Betelgeuse.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded of the demon.

Betelgeuse didn’t give much of an answer, instead teleporting himself out of Barbara’s hand and back into the model cemetery. 

“I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat myself!” Barbara snapped, folding her arms.

“Hey do you mind if I marry Lydia again? The ceremony wasn’t completed last time and I-.” Betelgeuse was suddenly cut off by the Maitlands yelling at him.

"No!" the Maitlands shouted in unison, "we refuse to let you marry our daughter again!!”

“We wouldn’t hesitate to unleash a Sandworm on you again!” Barbara added, enraged.

"Your daughter?" Betelgeuse scoffed, chuckling.

"Yes, our daughter!" the Maitlands angrily confirmed.

"I show up in this house again after about two months and all of a sudden you guys have a daughter?"

The Maitlands moved to the side to reveal an equally angry looking Lydia and Betelgeuse nodded along in understanding but the Maitlands both knew that he was wondering as to why Lydia was their daughter now.

"And Lydia is your daughter now because-?" Betelgeuse continued.

The Maitlands answered with, “Charles and Delia have moved back to New York City, leaving Lydia to live with us. Thus making her our daughter.”

Betelgeuse just nodded in response.

The Maitlands eyed the demon with looks of anger plastered on their faces. Just seeing him standing in their model, looking up at the three of them with a look in his eyes that showed he clearly wanted them to forgive him. But with everything that he'd done, he knew they weren't keen on forgiving him. A clear pout formed on his face and he moved to sit atop a model gravestone.

"You guys aren't planning on forgiving me, are you?" Betelgeuse asked, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"No!" came the reply.

Betelgeuse pretended to be moved, but in reality he was a bit upset with their response. He wanted to prove to them that he was changed, but now he wasn't sure how. 

He made a pouty face at the Maitlands but all he got in return was the family of three turning around and exiting the attic. As the attic door slammed closed, Betelgeuse disappeared in a flash of light. He’d try to convince Adam and Barbara to let him marry Lydia again the next time he showed up in the house.

___________

Downstairs, in the living room of the Maitland house, an angered Adam paced around. The encounter he and his family had with Betelgeuse was unexpected. He didn’t know what to think. Betelgeuse was acting like he was a changed person but the Maitlands refused to believe him. After everything that went down, would it be right to forgive someone as bad as Betelgeuse? The answer that the three of them had for that question was a definite no.

“I cannot believe that guy!” Barbara growled out in rage and her husband stopped pacing, looking to her. “Coming back and asking us if he could marry Lydia again!”

“Relax, Barbara, honey,” Adam said calmly, resting a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “We all know that’s not going to happen. We won’t let it.”

“And he better not come back ever again!” Lydia added on in a tone of annoyance, leaning back in her chair. 

“Lydia,” Barbara said, “we won’t let him come back. Let’s just avoid saying his name so he decides he doesn’t want to bother us anymore.”

“But what if he forces us to say his name again?” Lydia was now sitting upright, her gaze now focused on her ghost parents. They eyed her with worried glances. “I don’t want to have to marry him...again,” Lydia added.

“Lydia.” Her ghost parents both floated over to her and pulled her into a hug, which she knew she definitely needed as of right now. “That won’t happen. We won’t let it.”

Lydia hoped they were right.


	3. Chapter Two: The Second Time

Two more months had passed since Betelgeuse had last appeared in the model cemetery and now here he was again, peering up at Adam, Barbara, and Lydia with a look in his eyes that clearly showed that he wanted forgiveness from the family of three.

“And why, pray tell, are you here again?” Barbara demanded of the demon intruder. 

Betelgeuse didn’t give much of an answer to the angry Barbara’s question just like the last time he’d shown up unannounced in the Maitland house. The moment Barbara picked him up and opened her mouth to yell at him, sharp spikes once again protruded out of his body and hurt Barbara, causing her to drop him back into the model.

“Ow, what was that for?” Barbara yelped in pain. She remembered the last time that happened. That was just before their caseworker, Juno, placed a Strip Club into their model to distract Betelgeuse before summoning the Maitlands into her office.

Again, Betelgeuse didn’t answer. He instead gazed up at Barbara and flashed a wicked smile. “Can I marry Lydia agai-.” Betelgeuse was cut off by the Maitlands and Lydia shouting in unison, 

“NO! NO YOU MAY NOT!”

“Oh...okay. Geez.” With that, Betelgeuse disappeared in a flash of light.

The Maitlands breathed sighs of relief. They hoped Betelgeuse would be out of their hair for at least a little while.

It was now time for dinner. Following Barbara and Lydia downstairs and into the kitchen, Adam slowly closed the attic door behind him.  
_________

As Barbara made dinner, Lydia watched her ghost father pace around. Adam was deep in thought about what he and his family were going to do if Betelgeuse were to show up again. He certainly didn’t want to see Betelgeuse again and he knew Barbara and Lydia didn’t either. Adam stopped pacing and sat himself down next to Lydia at the kitchen counter.

Three plates full of steaming food, full of spaghetti and meatballs, floated onto the kitchen counter and Barbara sat across from her husband. As the family of three ate in silence, they let any thought of Betelgeuse disappear from their minds.

Barbara was the first to break the silence, focusing her attention onto Lydia and speaking, “Lydia? Have you thought about what to do for your latest photography project?”

“Not quite yet, ghost mom.” Lydia placed her fork down next to her plate and eyed Barbara. “I have so many ideas for it, I literally can’t decide.”

“Well, I hope you figure out what to do for your project soon, Lydia, sweetheart,” Adam added with a smile. “You have all week to do it.”

“I know,” Lydia replied with a chuckle.

“How did your English test go today?” Barbara asked.

“It went well, I got a B.”

“And how about your science test?” Adam asked.

“I got a C...again.” Lydia let out a sigh.

“Another C?” Barbara spoke, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah...” Lydia rested her head on the kitchen counter and started poking at her half eaten spaghetti and meatballs.

Barbara and Adam looked at one another before refocusing their attention back over towards their apparent tired daughter. It was clear she needed sleep. After all, she had a math test the next day. Both ghosts hoped she got an A on that like she did on every math test she took.

Ushering Lydia up to her room and coming back downstairs, Barbara moved to clear away the three dishes that remained sat on the kitchen counter before joining her husband in the living room.

They had only just started watching a Home Renovation Show together when they felt a sensation rush over them that told them Juno wanted to talk to them about something.

Standing up, the Maitlands made their way over towards the stairs and called up to Lydia, “we’re going to be in the afterlife for a while. We’ll be back soon!”

“Can I come too!” Lydia shouted back to them, her voice full of hope.

The Maitlands looked at one another in concern. They weren’t sure how Juno was going to react when she found out they let Lydia live with them. They were afraid of their caseworker’s reaction.

After a bit of conversation between the two ghosts, they turned their attention back up towards the second floor of the house, where Lydia was now waiting to hear their answer to her question. The Maitlands both responded with, “I suppose.”

“Yes!” Lydia cheered as she rushed back down the stairs and joined her ghost parents on the first floor of their house. “THANK YOU!” She gave both of her parents a tight hug.

“You’re welcome!” the Maitlands said in unison.

As soon as Lydia let go, Adam drew a door to the afterlife and the family of three went through, the door closing behind them.


	4. Chapter Three: Visit To the Afterlife

Juno eyed the Maitlands with an expression that could kill them a second time. Her hands were rested against her chin and she turned her attention onto Lydia before looking back towards the Maitlands.

“Why is the living girl here?” she demanded.

Adam and Barbara exchanged uneasy glances. How exactly were they going to explain this to Juno. Adam and Barbara nodded, Adam refocusing his attention on Juno.

“W-well...you see...” He couldn’t find the right words.

“I’m listening,” Juno said.

“She’s our nonbiological daughter,” Barbara calmly explained. “We just thought it would be okay for her to come with us.”

“You’re ghosts...raising a living girl?”

Adam and Barbara nodded.

Juno turned to face Lydia again. “Your last name is Deetz, right?”

Lydia shrugged. “It used to be. My last name is Maitland now.”

“She...” Juno turned her attention back towards the Maitlands. “She can see me?”

“Of course I can see you. I can see all ghosts.”

“No matter.” Juno stood up suddenly, resting her hands on top of her desk. “You guys may only be allowed in the afterlife if and only if she doesn’t come with you. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” The Maitlands nodded in unison. “But,” Barbara added, “there is something else we’d like to discuss with you.”

“What is it?” Juno asked.

“Betelgeuse keeps showing up in our house. He’s done that twice so far in the past two months,” Adam said quickly.

“Have you tried saying his name three times to send him back here?” Juno raised an eyebrow.

“No.” The family of three shook their heads.

“Well, do that any time he shows up in your house.”

“We will.” The Maitlands stood up and exited the office like room, heading back to the living world.

________

Barbara and Adam paced around the attic whilst Lydia watched them with worry. Fifteen minutes had passed since they returned to the living world and the two ghosts were still upset that they wouldn’t be allowed in the afterlife if Lydia was with them.

“I cannot believe our caseworker!” Barbara grumbled. “Us. Not allowed in the afterlife if Lydia’s with us.”

“I’m upset about that too, Barbara, honey.” Adam stopped pacing and began to work on his model of the town some more. “But, every time we go, Lydia’s gonna have to stay home.”

He focused his attention onto his model cemetery and gasped. Not again...

“Girls, you better come over here again!” Adam called out.

Barbara and Lydia stopped what they were doing and joined Adam over by his model. The family of three gazed down, again spotting Betelgeuse.

“You again?!” Barbara spat.

“What are you doing here?!” Adam demanded.

“Woah woah...” Betelgeuse held his hands out in front of him. “For the past two months, I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to convince you three that I’ve changed.”

“I don’t believe you one bit!” Barbara folded her arms.

“But it’s true,” Betelgeuse tried to say.

The Maitlands still refused to believe him.

“Guys, what did your caseworker tell us to do any time he showed up in our house again?” Lydia asked, focusing her attention on her ghost parents.

“To say his name three times and send him back to the afterlife,” the Maitlands said.

“Exactly.”

“Okay, let’s give it a try. Betelgeuse!” Adam began.

“Betelgeuse!!” Barbara continued.

“Betelgeuse!!!” Lydia finished.

In a flash of light, Betelgeuse disappeared and the Maitland family hoped that they wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore.

Boy would they be wrong.


	5. Chapter Four: Back Again

Betelgeuse reappeared in a flash of light in the cemetery of the Maitlands’ model town a couple weeks after his last attempt to convince them that he’d changed. But, like the last few times he’d tried, he knew they were still going to say no.

He was prepared for that.

He stayed a great distance away, watching Adam and Barbara work on the model from behind a model gravestone. He hoped they didn’t see the flash of light he appeared in.

But they did.

Soon after, the two ghosts were glancing down at the model gravestone Betelgeuse was hiding behind and Barbara pushed it to the side, picking up Betelgeuse. “You again!” she spat. She turned her head and nodded to her husband before setting Betelgeuse back down into the model graveyard. Adam nodded back to her and they refocused their attention back to Betelgeuse.

“Betelgeuse!” Adam began, remembering what his and Barbara’s caseworker told them to do anytime Betelgeuse were to ever show up in their house again a couple weeks prior. 

“Betelgeuse!!” Barbara continued with a slight smirk.

“Betelgeuse!!!” they said simultaneously.

“Wait, wait, wait...I,” Betelgeuse tried to say but before he could even finish his sentence, he disappeared in another flash of light.

“Good riddance,” Barbara said as she and Adam turned and left the attic.

“For a long time hopefully,” Adam added.

__________

Lydia got home from school, all of her school books in hand and her school backpack slung over one of her shoulders (goodness knows why her school books weren’t in her backpack), three and a half hours after her ghost parents’ most recent encounter with Betelgeuse. 

“I’m home!” she called out.

Adam and Barbara phased through a wall and met Lydia halfway in the foyer of their house, Barbara asking, “how was school today, Lydia?”

“Good,” came Lydia’s response. “I’ve got a science test tomorrow that I need help to study for.”

“I’ll be glad to help.” Barbara smiled. “How’d you do on your latest Photography project?”

Lydia smiled as well. “I got an A.”

“That’s great news Lydia,” Adam commented.

The family of three sat down together at the kitchen counter and chatted about how the rest of Lydia’s school day went whilst Lydia enjoyed an afternoon snack of cookies and a glass of milk.

___________

Twenty minutes before it was time for Barbara to make Lydia some dinner found the family of three playing around in the living room of their house. Adam and Barbara made to playfully chase Lydia out of the living room and upstairs to her bedroom.

“I’ve got you now!” Adam snickered and Lydia laughed a little, running into her room and locking the door behind her.

Adam and Barbara gave a knowing look at one another and together, they phased through Lydia’s locked bedroom door. Lydia let out a playful scream followed by a laugh as her ghost parents pinned her to the ground and then started to tickle her nonstop, all the while laughing alongside Lydia.

“Haha, ghost mother, ghost father! Cut it out!” Lydia laughed louder and tried to push Adam’s and Barbara’s hands away. 

But they just continued to tickle her nonstop, their tickle fight evolving into a rather loud laugh fest. They were so into it, they didn’t realize it was already time to make Lydia her dinner until...

“Ghost mother, ghost father...I’m hungry,” Lydia said, her stomach rumbling.


	6. Chapter Five: Summoned Rather Than Banished

By now, the Maitland family had had enough of Betelgeuse reappearing in their home on repeat. Here he was again, staring sheepishly up at them from his seat on top of yet another gravestone in the model cemetery of Adam’s model of Winter River.

They each went ahead and spoke his name, the tones of their voices equally as annoyed. But instead of him getting banished back to the afterlife in a flash of light, he still disappeared in a flash of light only to reappear in the Maitlands’ house - standing a few feet away from a now scared Lydia. The teen backed away from him, moving to hide behind Barbara.

“Surprised to see me here?” Betelgeuse asked, not realizing that the Maitlands were slowly starting to get angry.

Adam and Barbara grit their teeth and let out a series of low, loud growling noises as a response as they slowly began to storm over towards him. Now Betelgeuse noticed, starting to back away from the now angered Ghosts.

“You’re supposed to be sent back to the afterlife everytime we say your name!” Barbara spat out in rage. She grabbed a hold of Betelgeuse’s shoulders and pushed him up against a nearby wall. “You’re not supposed to be summoned into our house!” 

Betelgeuse held a shaky hand up, wanting to explain what he’d done to make himself summoned the next time his name was spoken rather than banished. 

But Adam spoke up, cutting the demon off. 

“Betel-!” He started but then stopped suddenly as he was cut off himself by Betelgeuse.

Betelgeuse covered the male ghost’s mouth with a hand the moment Barbara let go of him. “Let’s just avoid saying my name for the time being,” he said with a laugh. “I’d like to stay here for as long as I can. Like I said the last time I was here, I changed. I swear.” With that said, he removed his hand from Adam’s mouth and focused his attention onto Barbara.

She glared at him as she held Lydia close to her for protection. “Betelgeu-,” she said before being cut off by Betelgeuse as well. He rushed over towards the female ghost and placed a hand over her mouth. Barbara said a few muffled words that Lydia could tell were all Betelgeuse’s name.

But nothing happened. With his hand still covering Barbara’s mouth, Betelgeuse smirked softly at her and winked. He removed his hand from Barbara’s mouth.

“Did you alter your curse or something?” Barbara ask-growled. “How did you not disappear when I spoke your name?”

“I didn’t alter my curse in any way,” Betelgeuse said with another wink. “I simply cast some sort of spell on myself to ensure I don’t end up back in the afterlife whenever my name is spoken. Also, I’m a changed guy if you didn’t already know.”

“We know!” the Maitlands growled in unison. “But we still don’t believe you!” The two ghosts assumed fighting stances. It was the only thing that they could think of doing considering they couldn’t banish Betelgeuse back to the afterlife for the time being.

Lydia saw the slightest hint of hurt and fear in Betelgeuse’s eyes and moved to stand in front of him, much to her ghost parents’ confusion.

“Before you do anything!” Lydia began, holding up a hand and causing her ghost parents to get out of the fighting stances they’d assumed to the teenager’s relief. “I would like to say why don’t we give him another chance? If he believes he’s a changed person then let’s let him prove it to us.”

Her ghost parents looked at one another before refocusing their attention back to Lydia and Betelgeuse. They trusted their nonbiological daughter. Maybe giving Betelgeuse a second chance and a chance to prove to them he was changed wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Finally, they reached an agreement. “Alright, we’ll give Betelgeuse a second chance and a chance to prove to us he’s changed.”

Lydia smiled. Hopefully this would go right.


End file.
